Candles
by hopelessly adrift
Summary: The Empress of Britannia, Nunnally Vi Britannia goes to pay her respects at the Fuji Mausoleum. In remembrance to her late sister and the Japanese who suffered on that tragic day, she meets someone of interest. Someone who may influence her future.


**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Code Geass franchise. Only this little idea of mine.**

* * *

It was now four years since that day; that day of massacre that could never be forgotten … only brushed aside as though just another memory. Yet, though they may never have intended it, the minds of humanity were fickle and always wandering. Subconsciously lingering and inching towards the moment without any intention to and then, at that point when it finally dawned on us, it was too late. Even if it was only for a fleeting moment because by then the damage was done and the memory and the massacre were fresh. And what was gained from knowing this? Something of perhaps no significance but nevertheless what it said to those who knew the truth of that day, was that despite the better efforts of one person or another, nothing could ever be completely forgotten. And in the end, that made all the difference, did it not?

He was already standing there, staring at his reflection when she entered the Fuji Mausoleum. Brown hair was all she could make of the mystery ahead of her. For a moment, she was surprised; there shouldn't have been any other people around this vicinity while she was coming to pay her respects. The Empress of Britannia hesitated for a moment before proceeding in her wheelchair.

"I wasn't expecting anyone to be here while I was visiting," she said simply.

He glanced down at her, showing his blue eyes and then made to look back to the entrance. "That would make two of us then. I was just going though, so pardon me." He made to step away but her hand rose and he stopped in mid step. "Your highness?"

"It's nothing. I don't want to rob you of your time to pay respects, especially on a day like this."

He fell silent for a moment but settled for nodding and remaining where he was.

"I'm sorry," said Nunnally, "for the loss you suffered on that day."

Her words took him by surprise but he simply clenched his fists repeatedly as a means of distracting himself from the thought. "You have no reason to be. It was no one's fault except Zero's. I cannot put his crimes on your head, especially when you were not even in a position to do anything at that time."

"Perhaps you're right but it still must have been painful for you ... the loss you had to endure." She frowned and averted her gaze from him. "If I might ask though, you blame Zero and not … Euphemia? Why is that?"

"Everything about that day… It didn't happen as it was supposed to but I think you already knew that much."

"I understand it better than most do but considering my position, I would think that is only expected of me."

"That's an interesting line of thought," he said quietly. "And what position would you be referring to? Your status as Empress or as Euphemia's sister?"

There was a small smile as she found herself looking at him once again. It was easy for him to hone in on the things she really thought nothing of. That was so similar and yet there was an air of unfamiliarity about him still. As though he wasn't entirely there and it was almost upsetting to think that if he were the person she wished he was, he could change this much. "Both. Being her sister will always have a priority above what I can explain but in this case, it is also a day in history that Britannia has chosen to forget. Perhaps not voluntarily but we have put the pain of our past behind us and are moving towards the future, laid out before us."

"That's quite admirable. I hope you don't fall off the path he paved for you then, your highness." With nothing more to say, he turned to walk away but she seemed to have expected this for she quickly had taken his hand in hers. The contact made his body tighten slightly and he almost yanked his hand out of reflex but restrained that particular urge as she gazed at his hand as though not noticing his discomfort.

She said nothing for a long while. Instead, she seemed to take something away from simply holding his hand while her eyes remained shut. "I wonder ... how much do you actually understand about my situation? There's something about you that I can't seem to understand."

"I know plenty," he said while removing her hand from atop his. "And yet it still isn't enough to change what was then and what is now." He gazed at her through those square rimmed glasses and smiled before kneeling down before the water. He was doing something but she could not see around him to discover what that might be."Then again, that's what you're here for, isn't it? You can do things that perhaps, even he was not capable of doing. In fact … maybe that was his intention all along."

"Perhaps you're right."

"You know," he muttered, "Sometimes I wonder if he made the right choice. I may not have understood him as well as you and in fact, I might be speaking nonsense but I think to myself at times, as I'm sure many do, and wonder if this world is truly better because of his actions. To focus all of the world's hatred onto one person is something extraordinary but –"

She held up a hand again to stop him and it was then that he noticed the residue of tears on her cheek. "I think that is enough." He was at her eye level now and for a moment, Nunnally did nothing but stare into his eyes. Those blue eyes of his as deep as an ocean. That cropped brown hair … despite the obvious differences; she could not help but feel a sense of familiarity for one reason or another. It was unfair and she finally cast her gaze away, allowing for him to stand up and walk past her. In his wake, there was a flickering that reflected off the pool of water. His gift to her.

There were a few minutes of blurriness as Nunnally went on to clear the remnant tears from her eyes before finally noticing the two flames floating before her. Two candles were slowly moving away from where she sat but the names on both were still visible enough for her to read. She felt her breath catch in her chest and she glanced back hurriedly and to no avail. He was no longer in sight; gone with the wind or perhaps never there to begin with. A smile pulled at her face before her lips silently read the names off:

Lelouch vi Britannia & Euphemia li Britannia.

"Is everything alright, your highness?" A hand fell on her shoulder and without looking; she reached up to cover it with her own.

"I'm fine, Suzaku. We're alone now it seems, so it's fine that you call me by name"

He made to stand beside her while also moving to remove the mask with his free hand. "Force of habit, I suppose. Even after all these years, I guess I'm still trying to cast that name aside. It should be buried much like any and all trace of what I once was." It had been several years since he had taken on the name of Zero from Lelouch and left the title of 'White Knight' behind. To be honest, it was only Nunnally and a few others, aware of the original plan – of Zero Requiem – who knew otherwise and that was an unavoidable circumstance.

Nunnally nodded simply and smiled. "That's just like you, so I wouldn't really expect anything different. It would be strange if we did not have this conversation from time to time but as I've told you since ascending to the throne, you will always remain Suzaku to me. That is who you are."

Suzaku could not help but smile lightly but he also agreed. "You're right. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if I learned to lighten up, in that regard. It's been two years now but this doesn't seem to get any easier, if I'm being honest."

Her hold on his hand tightened a little and she glanced at him, sympathy and concern in her eyes. "I'm not asking you to change for me, Suzaku. I love you as you are and would not want anything else but you as you want yourself to be."

It wasn't uncommon for Nunnally to say something with a feeling of finality; as though it was so obvious that nothing else need be said on the matter. For a moment, he said nothing and allowed his gaze to wander aimlessly before taking note of the two candles floating away slowly. "I see you've paid your respects, then?"

Almost immediately, Nunnally shook her head before following his gaze out to the pool of water. "It wasn't me but someone else … A friend." She smiled lightly and despite the confusion that aroused from this situation, Suzaku let it be as his eyes drifted from one name to the other. Just for a moment, he could allow himself this time to feel nostalgic and remember them both.

* * *

She was alone and leant against a tree in wait. She was frowning, visibly irritated and in recent years, her hair had taken a drastic change. Most of it was now gone; cut in a rather careless manner that reached only the base of her neck nowadays. As a result, the straw sun hat atop her head but was not enough to contain the job done and so it was that her hair which was still green remained defiant and danced freely with the wind.

It bothered her to an extent to be here though not mainly out of inconvenience but because she knew of this day better than almost any other and understood the pain that it brought certain people. As her eyes remained on the Fuji Mausoleum, she could not help but find herself genuinely concerned. The Mausoleum was erected in the honor of those Japanese who had been _mercilessly _slaughtered at the hands of Euphemia li Britannia. C.C. stood in wait however because she knew very well the real circumstances and the pain it continued to bring. It was a compassion she could only show him because he had shown her the way to expressing her true feelings. And so the danger this posed to them both was overwhelming but something she was willingly to risk.

She did not know how long she had been waiting before finally seeing the silhouette approach but if she had bothered to keep track of time, it might have upset her more and so she simply moved from her spot against the tree and began walking in step with him as he approached. "How was it?" she asked simply, hands clasped behind her back.

He glanced at her before yawning and offering a small shrug in response. "It went as planned if you could bother calling it such. Sorry for making you wait."

As if responding to his words, C.C. picked up her pace and stopped abruptly before him. "Is it really that simple?"

He did not stop his stride but simply maneuvered around her and continued on his way as though he hadn't heard her.

"You refuse to change, don't you? Even after dying, you're still the same man as before."

"Not true." He was still walking but he removed the glasses and slowly began to take the blue from his eyes; contacts. "I'm a different person than the man who died by Zero's hands. Isn't that obvious by my being able to walk amongst the rest of humanity?" He turned and looked back, a sly smile upon his face and purple eyes behind the same square glasses.

She sighed but continued walking after him. "You are an impossible man."

"Wrong again. Lelouch vi Britannia was the impossible man who made impossible things happen. I am not that person. I'm just a simple citizen of Britannia, looking to open the eyes of a few lost souls." He laughed lightly and continued on his way with the green haired witch in his wake.

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A/N: I don't know about you but I'm personally not 100% satisfied with this. However I don't believe in editing and editing. In fact, I think that would only further ruin the story and so I'm leaving it up to you who read my stories to decide how you feel about this excerpt. Leave your thoughts and tell me what you think so that I can get better. I'd really appreciate it.


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